I believe that your amp (and pickups, and effects) choice has more impact on your sound quality than your choice of guitar. A great guitar through a crap amp (or through a crap amp and cheap effects boxes) will sound weak and crappy.

Conversely if you buy a cheap guitar and add good pick ups and a good amp, it will sound good. I can't tell you how many "Starcasters" I've upgraded for people who bought cheap. Even the MIM Standards sound noticeably better when you change out the electronics, and they are good instruments to begin with.

Yup definately more in the amp and the rest of the electronic signal path than in the guitar.

Bear in mind I am only talking about the sound quality of the amplified instrument, NOT the tonal ability of the player. A doofus on a Custom Shop guitar playing through a Mesa Rectifier will still sound like a doofus.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Tell me about it! I know!

Yeah, I agree with you guys. Many people dont realize how important an amp is towards your tone. You can have a cheap guitar through a nicee amp you can sound golden!

To answer the original question id say 60%amp 40%guitar

I'd go 80% amp. An electric guitar without a good amp is pretty much worthless. You can make a pretty cheap guitar sound decent with a good amp.
If you put a great expensive guitar through a rotten amp, it will still sound rotten.

70% guitarist, 15% Guitar, 15% amp...JMO....

Guitar 75%, amp 25%.

I don't really like my amp all that much... if I had a Twin Reverb, it would be a solid 50/50, but my Am Deluxe HSS is great without any amp.

hang on hang on, lets take another look at the question.



How many guitarists on this planet tap out a rhythm on their amp without a guitar in sight.

The first point of contact is the guitar, you can play a guitar without a amp. You cant play a amp without a guitar, as a guitarist. Yeah ok you could sling a keyboard infront of it, or tap out a rhythm. But how many of us do that. You cant play a amp without a guitar, end of story. So 100%guitar 0%amp in a purely had to pick one or the other, desert island kind of scenario.



On the other hand.

I cant think of any bad gear I've owned that I couldnt get a sound out of, that was usable for something. Even them danelectro honeytone amps have their uses.

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No no and no

I've come to the conclusion that every post in this thread is correct! Now, all should be content that their view is the right one!

Without any joking, I'd say it breaks down as follows:

100% Guitar
100% Amp
+100% Player
---------------
100% Magic

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-Kc
"Payin' dues."

100% guitar. This way, I sound good through any amp.

I learned many, many years ago that the mark of a good player is one who can crank his amp up to '10' and sound like a million bucks then, shut it off and still sound like a million bucks.

In my 40 some odd years of playing, I have never, ever practiced with an amp. Of course, at band rehearsals but never for personal practicing.

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You dig?

Well, if you put it this way: An amp without a electric guitar, doesn't work. But, a electric guitar with out an amp, does work, but not as good. So I'd say

50% guitar
25% player
25%amp

I get more mileage from playing one guitar through different amps than I get from playing several guitars through the same amp. Like Martian, I've always practiced unplugged so I feel well acquainted with the qualities that are intrinsic to my guitar. When I vary the amp I'm using (or the effects, for that matter), I'm much more likely to twiddle a knob and find a sound that seems fresh and inspiring to me. The right amp has a dramatic and immediate effect on my overall sound, whereas the right guitar has a more subtle bearing on my general well-being (not that that's not important!) which would probably go unnoticed by an audience.

I saw this question on a performers forum and thought it would be an interesting discussion.

BTW, 95% of the performers who replied said "amps"

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

See! I told y'all it was in the amp!

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"